‘We all have to focus on our future generation, these kids are our future, this country’s future.’
Photograph: Helen Davidson for the Guardian

Nhammirri bukmak Ngapaki ga Yolngu and everyone else sitting in this room. I’d like to acknowledge the traditional owners of this land – the Gumatj people. My name is Michael Gadingura Yunupingu, and I am Dr Yunupingu’s grandson. I’d like to summarise my life to you all, as I think it is very important for everyone to sit and listen to.

My brother and I grew up most of our lives in Adelaide, taken care of single-handedly by our mother, who is also a foster carer to many past and present and adopted by Wandjuk Marika – who was a Rirrtangu leader. We were encouraged from a young age to go to school and make the most of our education. We were also encouraged to commit to sports, and experience a range of programs, which allowed us to gain connections and interests. It was hard for us to maintain and learn more about our own language and culture, as we lived on the other side of the country, but we always knew this land was part of us and who we are.

As I grew older, I started to have ambitions on what I wanted to be and through the many opportunities my mother gave me, I have been able to chase them. My dream is to run in the Olympics, be a sports scientist, working in elite sporting faculties and also be a mentor in Indigenous health. Right now I am halfway through completing a sports science degree at UniSA [University of South Australia] and have represented the state in the 200/400m in Sydney. My brother’s dream is to be a film-maker; he has already won awards and is part of the South Australian Film Corporation.

So a lot of you in this room may be thinking: why did I just summarise my lifetime achievements to you all?

There are so many Yolngu kids outside of this room who want to be something when they grow up. Everyone has a dream. Prime minister, you had a dream right? The only problem is, they don’t have the opportunities to get to that dream.

We all, Balanda and Yolngu, have to work together to figure out a way in which kids can carry on our culture, yet gain as much education as possible. Education allows kids to learn. Learning allows kids to gain ambitions. Ambitions allow kids to live and strive for something everyday. Too many times Yolngu have been let down by lack of opportunities. But it is time this stops. Think of ways – with all the money we have, there surely are ways. Setting up boarding houses for Yolngu interstate? More programs promoting education? These are just some suggestions, and I’m not even a politician!

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Our family, for example, have been rejected by private housing rental in Adelaide more than 20 times. Yet we have seen other people being approved after us. I am not suggesting racism or discrimination. But why is it that under Yolngu we are allowed to be constantly rejected; yet other families are allowed to be approved after us? Our dream is to have a bigger house, to allow other Yolngu kids to board and go to school in Adelaide. Staying with us would allow them to ease into a city lifestyle. I have seen countless times Indigenous kids from communities dropping out of boarding schools because they cannot handle the transition from community to city life. There are so many more instances where Yolngu are not being provided the same opportunities to excel. We all need to work together now or else Yolngu are never going to move forward. Kids aren’t getting the opportunities, and therefore resort to this constant lifestyle of drugs and alcohol.

We cannot sit here and say everything is fine, because at the end of the day it really isn’t. We all have to focus on our future generation, these kids are our future, this country’s future! Give them the opportunities they deserve to have. We need to work on building this pathway together with true commitment from all.